They say the heaviest thing in the world is the eyelids, and it seems that might be true. That was the first thought that surfaced as his consciousness floated upward.

Taeui blinked his heavy eyelids a few times. He wondered blankly whether he should just close his eyes again or keep blinking a little longer. It was the fourth time he’d had this same thought.

The 1st time he opened his eyes, everything around him was pitch black. He couldn’t recall when it had been, nor could he clearly remember opening his eyes at all. The 2nd time was no different. Though that time, he managed to blink a couple of times before losing consciousness again. The 3rd time he opened his eyes, he managed to turn his gaze and look at the clock. Somehow, the lamp on the nightstand had been turned on, casting the faintest light, just enough to make out the wall clock. It was just shy of 5 A.M. He remembered looking at the clock, then at some point, without even realizing it, slipping back into sleep. Now, for the 4th time, Taeui struggled to force his eyelids open, as heavy as if they were weighed down with a thousand pounds, and looked at the clock again. It was just past 6 A.M. He felt as though much more time had passed since the third time he’d woken up, but in reality, only about an hour and a half had elapsed. It reminded him of the rare occasions when he’d been seriously ill before. During those times, the night seemed endlessly long, and though it felt as though he’d slept for ages, waking up always revealed that only a short time had passed.

‘Should I sleep a bit more? But before that, it feels like there’s something I need to think about.’

Taeui closed his eyes. He wanted to let his drowsy consciousness drift away completely, but the slight clarity returning to his mind concluded that he should at least think for a moment. However, even as he tried, it seemed his awareness slipped away briefly again, only to return. When he opened his eyes once more, ten minutes had passed. This time, his eyelids felt a little lighter than before.

‘Wait a minute. There’s definitely something I need to think about, but what was it?’

Taeui blinked slowly, once, then twice, but his foggy mind refused to produce any answers. Eventually, the first clear thought that surfaced was a faint sense of unease amidst the familiarity.

This wasn’t his room. It wasn’t unfamiliar, but it wasn’t the room he was used to waking up in every time. This place was…… oh, right. It was Ilay’s room.

Taeui turned his head slightly. No one was there. He shifted his gaze to the other side, but again, there was no one. He couldn’t sense any signs of life. It seemed he was the only one in the room.

‘Why am I lying alone in a room without its owner?’ – He wondered vaguely. But the thought didn’t stir much curiosity. It felt as though the gears in his mind were only halfway functioning.

Anyway, he thought he should try getting up. Taeui attempted to support his languid, unresponsive body by pressing his arms against the bed. Or rather, he tried to. The moment he moved his arms, a sharp ache shot through him—from his shoulder to his upper arm, elbow, and even his wrist. The sudden jolt of pain made him instinctively furrowed his brow.

“Ah…… ow, ow……”

A groan escaped his lips involuntarily, but even that didn’t come out properly. What emerged was a raspy sound, like air hissing through his throat. The moment he opened his mouth, an intense thirst and a searing pain in his throat hit him all at once. His lips and the inside of his mouth were bone dry. It wasn’t just his throat or arms, he realized. His lower back, abdomen, legs – even muscles he didn’t recall ever aching before, like those in his hips – all throbbed with a deep, nagging pain, as if every part of him was crying out in protest.

Taeui felt a brief surge of confusion. This excruciating muscle pain, so intense it made him afraid to move, was baffling. It wasn’t just his muscles; even his joints seemed to ache deeply, leaving him at a loss to understand what had happened to his body.

Frowning at the persistent throbbing pain, he muttered a hoarse: “Ow, ow”, under his breath. Still, he decided he needed to get up. With his body creaking and protesting every movement as if it were falling apart, he struggled to sit upright, barely managing to support himself despite the overwhelming discomfort.

The moment he managed to sit up, his body gave out, and he slumped back down. It felt as though his entire body was splitting apart. There was no sensation between his legs. The raw, chafing feeling on the inside of his thighs didn’t even seem like it was coming from his own flesh. It was like stroking skin that had been numbed by anesthesia. But deeper than that, there was an unbearable heat, as if it were on fire. Pain has a way of becoming sharper the moment you acknowledge it, and as soon as he thought – ‘It hurts!’ – the agony in his inner thighs intensified, almost unbearable now. It was as if they’d been seared with fire. Yes, exactly like the sensation of a burn.

And in the midst of the pain so intense it brought tears to his eyes, Taeui began to recover his memories and thoughts.

Ilay.

Ilay Riegrow.

That bastard!

The moment his memory returned, a surge of fury boiled up within him. The anger clawed its way up from deep in his chest, leaving him breathless, as though it were choking him. His mind went completely blank, consumed by the overwhelming rage.

‘Should I really just kill him? Charge at him with everything I’ve got, put my life on the line, and actually end him? Even if I can’t kill him, wouldn’t sacrificing my own life at least let me rip off that cursed thing of his?’

Taeui, struggling to breathe through the rage surging in his chest, clenched his fists tightly. His fingernails were stained with dried blood, evidence of how desperately he had scratched at the ropes that had bound his wrists in an attempt to free himself. The skin around his wrists was bruised, the marks forming a clear pattern of the rope, and some areas had been rubbed raw, oozing faint traces of blood.

Seeing those marks made his vision blur with renewed fury, his mind spinning as the anger consumed him once more.

“Where the hell is that bastard……?”

His voice was hoarse, raw from how much he must have yelled the night before. Just muttering a few words sent a metallic tang of blood faintly spreading in his mouth. His throat must have been bleeding, no doubt about it.

“Where the hell did that damn bastard go……!”

If he were standing in front of him right now, Taeui wouldn’t care about the difference in strength or that bastard’s maddening personality—he’d just lunge at him without a second thought.

“You damn bastard, when I find you, I’ll make sure to beat the life out of you……!”

A part of his mind still clung to reason, but the rest of it seemed to have completely unraveled. Even though his entire body was wracked with pain, barely able to move, and the idea of overpowering Ilay was utterly impossible, his rationality refused to make that calculation. Emotion surged uncontrollably, drowning out everything else.

Taeui lay on his side on the bed, trembling uncontrollably. There wasn’t a single part of his body that didn’t ache. Even his eyes were swollen from how much he had cried. Considering how much he’d sobbed, he supposed it was a small mercy that his tears hadn’t dried to the point of leaving his face stinging. With a feeble hand, he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. Then, suddenly, he paused. Huh?

His cheek felt clean. He was certain it would be a sticky mess, but apart from being swollen, it was surprisingly smooth and dry. Now that he thought about it……

Taeui slowly tried moving his legs. Just the slightest twitch, barely moving them a few centimeters, sent a sharp, searing pain coursing down his spine, as if his body was falling apart. A fresh wave of resentment boiled over, spilling out as curses under his breath. Still, his legs, too, felt…… so odd. There was no sticky or unpleasant sensation left behind.

Taeui tilted his head in confusion. Strange. His body should have been in an unbearable state, yet everything felt oddly clean. He should have been cursing at the sticky, messy feeling, but there was nothing of the sort. Could this all just be a dream……? No, that couldn’t be it.

Even the simple act of tilting his head sent another wave of throbbing pain through him, making him sigh. Now that he thought about it, there was something else strange—where had that beast of a lunatic gone?

After burning with fever and doing that, he should have collapsed unconscious again with his fever spiking even higher. Yet, there wasn’t a single trace of movement in the bed or anywhere else in the room. Could it be…… he’d died in the process? And then someone had taken his body away to dispose of it somewhere……?

Taeui let out a sigh and shook his head. 

‘What nonsense. My body’s worn out, my mind’s a mess, and now I’m spiraling into absurd thoughts.’

Taeui slowly ran his hand down his body, which was buried deep under the blanket. Even the slightest movement of his arm sent jolts of pain through him. His body felt warmer than usual—he must have a fever.

‘Well, after all that, if I didn’t end up bedridden, I wouldn’t even be human.’

As his fingertips slowly traced down his body, every spot they touched sent a pang of pain through his skin. It felt like the aftermath of a severe flu, where even the slightest contact hurt. His sensitive fingertips brushed over swollen skin marked by bites and his chest, tender from being nipped, and a stinging sensation followed. Suddenly, a rush of heat flooded his face. Everywhere his hand touched brought back vivid memories of Ilay’s hands and lips. 

‘Was there any part of my body that those hands didn’t touch?’

“……Damn it……”

Taeui thought that once he regained some strength, the first thing he’d do would be to scrub his body raw until every last trace was gone. As his hand continued down his body, it eventually reached his groin. He flinched instinctively, his hand drawing back. The memory of last night’s unbearable pain sent a cold sweat down his spine. Carefully, hesitantly, he probed further with his fingers. When his hand brushed against the swollen, burning area, a sharp sting made his body jolt. The fiery pain was so intense that he immediately pulled his hand away, unable to bring himself to touch it any further. Even so, his hand remained clean. There was no trace of any fluids or residue. Taeui frowned deeply, staring at his hand with a look of unease and suspicion.

It was then.

That the door opened.

Taeui, lying with his back to the door, instinctively flinched. Gathering his aching, creaking body, he turned his head slightly to look. Through the open door, Ilay stepped in, looking completely unscathed.

Just a few hours ago, he had been burning with fever despite flaunting that insane stamina of his. Yet now, as if nothing had happened, he walked in with a perfectly composed face.

“Oh, you’re awake. I didn’t think you’d be able to get up for a few more hours.”

“……”

He was exactly the same as usual. That cool indifferent face with the faintest hint of a smile – if it could even be called one – was the Ilay he always knew.

“You……”

Taeui ground his teeth as he spoke. The sight of that shameless face made his breath catch in his throat all over again.

“Thanks to you, I’m all better. When I woke up this morning, my body felt light, and my fever was back to normal. I’m still a bit weaker than usual, so I’ll probably have to stick to porridge for a day or two, but that’s about it.”

Ilay murmured nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened, and approached. Taeui, gripping a pillow in his hand, ready to throw whatever he could grab, froze mid-motion. Before he could swing, Ilay calmly placed the tray he was holding right on the bed—precisely on top of the pillow Taeui was clutching.

“I figured you wouldn’t be able to get up, so I grabbed a few things from the dining hall. You liked plain yogurt and cheese vegetable salad, didn’t you? I brought two of each.”

“……”

Taeui, on the verge of exploding in anger, froze with his mouth half-open, glaring daggers at Ilay. Ilay, now sitting at the edge of the bed, calmly handed him a fork, meeting his furious gaze with a nonchalant expression as if to ask: ‘What’s wrong?’ The way he tilted his head ever so slightly was maddeningly infuriating.

“You.”

Taeui spoke in a low trembling voice, biting his quivering lip once before glaring daggers at Ilay’s pale shameless face. He looked as though he might throw a punch at any moment, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he did. In response, Ilay raised an eyebrow slightly and let out a soft chuckle. His smirk deepened, the corners of his lips curling into a more pronounced grin as he tilted his head as if to say: ‘Go on, say what you want.’

“Why.”

Staring directly at that shameless face, Taeui clenched his fists tightly. Then, the first question that came to his mind slipped out.

“You’re saying your fever’s completely gone now and your body’s fine?”

With a fierce expression and a tone dripping with displeasure, as if picking a fight, Taeui threw the question at him. Ilay paused for a moment, his lips closing. As if he’d just heard something completely unexpected, his face went blank. Then, faintly furrowing his brows, he pointed to himself.

“Me?”

“Then who else here was burning with a high fever and in bad shape besides you?”

At the moment, Taeui himself wasn’t exactly in great shape, but at least he wasn’t running a raging fever. His tone grew even harsher, laced with annoyance and ferocity. Ilay, maintaining his silence a moment longer, simply stared at Taeui, unbothered but watchful.

Then, as if something suddenly gave him pause, Ilay covered his mouth with one hand, his fingers brushing his lips. He lowered his head, rubbing his chin, looking for all the world like someone deep in thought, troubled by a difficult situation. But as Taeui watched him, it took less than a few seconds before his temper flared. He had caught the faint sound of laughter slipping through Ilay’s fingers. He wasn’t troubled—he was stifling his laughter.

“Hey, you……!”

Just as Taeui was about to explode in a shout, Ilay, still rubbing his smirking mouth with his hand, spoke in a mocking tone.

“Why? If I were still burning up with a fever and feeling unwell, were you planning to drag yourself over and take care of me?”

“Do I look like a crazy idiot? I’d kill the bastard who assaulted me before I’d ever take care of him!”

“Then why was that your first question?”

“What kind of brain structure does this guy even have?” – Taeui muttered to himself, yet Ilay just kept laughing, as if the whole situation was utterly absurd. Feeling the sheer frustration of having to hear someone like him comment on anyone’s brain structure, Taeui grabbed his own hair in exasperation, practically pulling at it.

“What the hell is wrong with you? What kind of thoughts are in that head of yours that you’d think of doing something like assaulting someone?! Were you trying to kill me? Was that it?! Do you have any idea—I really thought my life was over yesterday, you hear me?!”

“Ah―――sorry. I was delirious from the fever, so I wasn’t thinking straight. You know how it is—when someone feels their life is in danger, the instinct for self-preservation kicks in. Like, the kind of primal instinct to leave behind offspring. I guess that sort of instinct kicked in, even though I wasn’t in my right mind. I must have been seriously sick—sick enough to feel like I was on the brink of death.”

Ilay spoke with an oddly serious expression. ‘Now that I think about it, he really was in bad shape’ – Taeui found himself unconsciously nodding as he thought. He was in a coma for days, and his fever wouldn’t go down. He wasn’t in any normal condition. But then, with a sudden jolt, he snapped out of it and, without a second thought, grabbed the cushion within reach and hurled it at him.

“What kind of twisted survival instinct makes you try to pass on your damn seed to another man, of all people?!”

“Haha, true enough. But moving like that must hurt, doesn’t it? I mean, I did clean you up on the outside, but there’s probably still some left inside. Isn’t it leaking out?”

Ilay casually swatted the cushion aside with the back of his hand, speaking slowly with a smug smile.

And, as much as Taeui hated to admit it, Ilay was right.

He hadn’t moved much at all when throwing the cushion, yet the pain in his back was so intense it felt as if it might snap in two. Defeated, he collapsed onto the bed. At that moment, a sticky sensation ran down between his legs, vividly and unpleasantly making itself known, sending a shudder through his entire body.

“Ugh, what is this……?”

The unfamiliar sensation, one he had never experienced before, sent chills down his spine. Taeui froze, curling in on himself, paralyzed by the strange feeling. Seeing this, Ilay calmly set the tray aside on the nightstand and casually pulled back the blanket.

“If you leave it like that, it’ll cause trouble all day. Let’s take care of it now, shall we?”

Ilay muttered nonchalantly as he pushed against Taeui’s chest. Weak and unable to resist, Taeui fell back flat on the bed. Ilay grabbed his knees, spreading them apart, and placed a towel he had draped over the chair earlier beneath him. Taeui’s face stiffened, his expression turning to stone. He glared at Ilay with such intensity it felt as if flames might shoot from his eyes. But Ilay seemed completely oblivious to the piercing gaze, his focus entirely on calmly inspecting Taeui’s groin.

At first, he was simply dumbfounded. Then, the second wave came—a fiery rage rising in his chest. He hadn’t expected a genuine apology from this man. Ilay wasn’t someone who would ever reflect on his actions. But there had to be a limit to how much someone could look down on another person.

“Ilay……Ilay! Let go!”

Taeui shouted angrily, his voice laced with fury. Only then did Ilay glance at him, his eyes flicking up briefly. After a moment that seemed like he was considering something, Ilay finally let go of Taeui’s knees.

The instant his legs were freed, Taeui didn’t hesitate—he kicked Ilay square in the chest with all the strength he could muster. His heel landed perfectly on Ilay’s solar plexus, causing Ilay’s expression to twist slightly in discomfort.

Ilay stumbled back a step and sat down, coughing three or four times. He rubbed his solar plexus, his gaze turning sharp and chilling as he stared at Taeui. In that moment, Taeui felt a twinge of regret. Kicking someone in the solar plexus, if hit wrong, could actually kill them. Thankfully, Ilay seemed fine—after a brief stumble and a few hacking coughs, he appeared remarkably composed.

‘I definitely hit him right’ – Taeui thought, frowning – ‘This guy really is a monster’. But even as that thought crossed his mind, a lingering unease remained.

‘What was I thinking, kicking that monster?’ – Sure, the resentment had built up so much that even grinding him to dust wouldn’t have been enough; but now, faced with that menacing gaze, a chill ran down his spine.

‘So what? After nearly killing someone, are you really going to kill me over something like this?’ – Taeui grumbled internally while wiggling his ankle. Even though he had managed to kick Ilay in the solar plexus, it had taken a toll on his own body. After the sudden, forceful movement had caused a wave of muscle pain to crash down on him. “Uououough” – He collapsed back onto the bed.

“……Feeling a little better now?”

At that moment, an unexpected comment broke the silence. Still sitting where he had been knocked back, Ilay spoke in a disgruntled tone.

Taeui blinked, momentarily stunned. He couldn’t comprehend what the beast of a man—someone who could twist another person’s neck without a second thought—had just said. Ilay clicked his tongue in annoyance and muttered: “I’m really not used to being hit. For a moment there, my hand almost moved on its own.”

It was unexpected. From the moment he decided he might as well kill this guy, Taeui had already braced himself for the possibility of dying in the process. But he had never imagined that this man, after being hit, would respond so calmly.

Taeui let out a breath of relief, his hand resting on his chest. 

‘At least it seems I’m not going to die this time.’

As that thought crossed his mind, he realized just how cautious and small-minded he was, which made him sigh in a wave of self-pity.

Ilay coughed a couple more times to steady himself, then leaned toward Taeui again. He grabbed his knees firmly. At that moment, any trace of Taeui’s earlier self-reproach over his own timidity vanished completely.

“This bastard! He just got hit and now he’s at it again……!”

“STAY STILL! I’m not planning on taking another hit quietly! The fact that I let you hit me without fighting back is a first in my life, so count yourself lucky to still be alive!”

Before Taeui could shout, Ilay beat him to it, raising his voice in outrage, as if he were the victim. His breathing was rough, clearly still bitter about getting hit.

‘This lunatic! Of all the nerve…… yelling at me? Who does he think he is?’ – Taeui thought furiously. But his usual timidity returned just as quickly, leaving him unable to retort. Instead, he could only glare at Ilay, who met his gaze with a dissatisfied grunt. Ilay clicked his tongue, as though regretting his own outburst, and then, without a word, brusquely spread Taeui’s legs apart again.

Ilay stared intently at his groin, as if analyzing it. Taeui tried to shake off Ilay’s grip on his knees by jerking his leg, but all it did was make Ilay tighten his hold even more.

Taeui briefly considered going crazy and kicking him one more time. But then, the sheer absurdity and pitiful nature of the situation hit him, draining all his energy. With a deep sigh, his frustration and strength escaped him at once.

‘Fine, you lunatic. Do whatever you want. It’s not like you didn’t already lick and touch every inch of me last night. What’s there to be embarrassed about now?’

The moment that thought crossed his mind, exhaustion overtook him. Feeling completely defeated, Taeui slumped back against the headboard. Half-reclined with his legs sprawled open in this humiliating position, he thought grimly: ‘If I ever dream about this, it’ll be a nightmare.’

‘Damn it. What’s so fascinating about staring at that? Does he think I’ve got gold buried there or something?’

As Taeui silently cursed him to no end, Ilay suddenly muttered to himself, almost as if speaking his thoughts aloud.

“It’s pretty bad……”

“What?”

Taeui stared at Ilay, utterly incredulous. Even in his current stat – his rationality slightly scrambled and his emotions all over the place – he could more than imagine just how disastrous the area Ilay was inspecting must look.

“So, everyone else you’ve slept with came out unscathed, huh?”

Taeui grumbled under his breath, annoyed by how absurd the conversation had become. There’s no way anyone came out unscathed after having that monstrous thing shoved into them.

But Ilay, with his usual nonchalance, casually dropped another infuriating remark.

“No, it’s just that I never had to see them again afterward.”

“……Then don’t look at mine either!”

Taeui shouted, furious at the absurdity of Ilay claiming not to check others yet insisting on staring at him while even spreading his legs apart. He lifted his leg again, ready to kick the bastard once more, but Ilay firmly held his knees in place, refusing to let go. Clicking his tongue, Ilay glanced down at Taeui’s groin with darkened eyes and muttered, almost like a sigh.

“Sorry about this. Lie back. If I don’t take care of it, you’ll be in pain all day.”

As Ilay pushed Taeui’s legs further apart and settled between them, Taeui could only stare at him blankly.

‘Sorry about this.’

It was different from the earlier “Ah—sorry.” This time, it sounded faintly sincere—or was Taeui’s hearing playing tricks on him? Still, there was no way this man could genuinely mean an apology. As Taeui stared at him with a suspicious expression, Ilay’s hand moved toward the space between his legs. The moment his pale hand touched Taeui’s groin, a jolt of awareness shot through him, and he snapped to attention. His body reflexively jerked upward, but Ilay promptly pressed him back down again.

“Stay still. It might hurt a bit, but it’s better than running to the bathroom all day, isn’t it? In your condition, you’d have trouble even making it out of bed.”

Speaking in a detached voice, Ilay blocked Taeui from moving and, without hesitation, touched between his legs. Before Taeui could say anything, Ilay slid his fingers smoothly inside. The swollen tender area burned with sharp pain at the slightest touch, but worse than that was the horrifying sensation that followed. As Ilay curled his fingers and gently parted the inside, a sticky wetness began to seep out, sending a shiver of disgust through Taeui.

“Ugh, argh…… What, what is this—what’s happening……?”

“My seed. Ah, it’s coming out.”

Ilay muttered calmly, completely unfazed, as he watched Taeui shuddering in near panic, his face drained of all color. His gaze shifted to his fingers, now slick with the cloudy fluid slowly seeping out of Taeui’s body. From the red swollen opening, barely able to accommodate a single finger, the sticky liquid dripped steadily, forming small droplets that oozed out slowly but relentlessly.

No matter how much Taeui reflexively tried to curl up, Ilay’s fingers would press and curl, keeping the opening parted. The sensation of the fluid trickling out, completely beyond his control, made Taeui’s face pale even further, his expression twisting into one of distress. Aside from the swelling and tearing that caused sharp pain, the act of the fluid flowing out didn’t hurt in itself—but Taeui almost wished it did. At least pain would have been easier to bear.

Feeling like he wanted to cry out ‘Mom!’, in utter despair, Taeui could only grip the bed sheet tightly with trembling hands.

“……There, that should do it. Looks like most of it is out.” – Ilay remarked casually.

Only after the liquid had dripped down his fingers, thoroughly soaking the towel beneath, did the flow finally subside. Ilay ran his fingers along the inside of Taeui’s body a few more times, as if to scrape out whatever remained. Then, with a hint of reluctance, he finally withdrew his hand.

While Taeui lay limp on the bed, completely drained, Ilay silently went about cleaning up. He tossed the soaked towel into a basket, then brought back a fresh one dampened with warm water. Without a word, he carefully wiped down Taeui’s groin, who remained motionless the entire time. Finally, after cleaning his own hands, Ilay gently laid Taeui back down, covering him with the blanket. Taeui, feeling utterly defeated, looked at Ilay with the same forlorn expression as a child who had cried all afternoon and stopped only out of sheer exhaustion. It was a baffling contrast—this man, who had likely cleaned him up in a similar manner while he’d been asleep earlier that morning, seemed impossible to reconcile with the beastly, monstrous figure Taeui knew.

‘This insane, inhuman, animalistic bastard…… turns out he’s surprisingly well-mannered in situations like this.’

But even Ilay’s unexpectedly considerate actions didn’t sit well with Taeui in his gloomy state.

“Quite experienced, aren’t you.”

Ilay turned his head at the remark, letting out a questioning “Hmm?”, before tilting his head slightly.

“Did it look like I was experienced? This is the first time I’ve cleaned up after someone else, but I guess it wasn’t too awkward if that’s how it came across. That’s a relief.”

With a faint chuckle, Ilay said that and sat down on the edge of the blanket covering Taeui. Trapped beneath the blanket, Taeui frowned in annoyance as Ilay leaned down, stopping just a handspan away from his face.

Then, in a low voice, Ilay said something unbelievable once more.

“I’m sorry.”

“……So you do know how to feel sorry, huh? Well, I guess if you couldn’t even feel remorse after assaulting someone, you wouldn’t be human.”

Come to think of it, this man wasn’t exactly human, but Taeui decided to let it slide for now. However, upon hearing his words, Ilay’s expression briefly shifted into something strange, as if he’d just heard something unexpected. That expression disappeared almost instantly, replaced by his usual calm demeanor, but Taeui didn’t miss that fleeting moment. Frowning suspiciously, he asked,

“What’s with that face?”

“What? What exactly are you sorry for, then?”

“Well…… looking at you, it seems like you won’t be able to walk properly for a day or two, and I figured that would be inconvenient for you……Now that I think about it, I guess I’m also a bit sorry for the thing you mentioned earlier.”

Ilay’s face made it blatantly clear these words were nothing more than lip service, and hearing them did absolutely nothing to make Taeui feel even remotely forgiving.

Taeui felt his rage surge again, choking him to the point where he couldn’t even breathe properly. He glared at Ilay with murderous intensity, his mouth half-open, before finally yanking the blanket over his head, covering himself completely. Looking at Ilay any longer would only make him angrier.

“I said I’m sorry.” 

There was a hint of laughter in his voice as he said it. ‘You bastard…… One day, I swear I’ll destroy you with my own hands if it’s the last thing I do. Only then will this anger subside’ – Taeui muttered to himself, seething with fury that felt as if it might draw blood tears.

Just then, a large hand rested atop his head through the blanket. As if attempting some kind of half-hearted gesture of comfort, the hand lingered for a moment, moving gently over his head, before slowly withdrawing.

“It’s not something to get that mad about, is it? We just did what we normally do, but a bit more intensely. Besides, once you get used to it, you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more too.”

“I’m not planning to get used to it, you bastard!”

“That won’t do.”

The moment he heard Ilay’s calm voice, Taeui’s vision went white with fury. Losing his composure entirely, he kicked out the blanket and all at Ilay. Caught completely off guard, Ilay fell to the floor with a loud *Thud*

“You bastard! What do you mean ‘that won’t do’?! Listen, if you so much as lay a single finger on me again—whether it’s up here or down there—or even think of putting that damn dick in me, I’ll bite it off and crush it, so consider yourself warned!”

With the thread of his reason completely snapped, Taeui shouted furiously, practically bouncing on the bed in his rage. He waved his clenched fist at Ilay, who lay sprawled on the floor, staring up at him in a daze. Then, still breathing heavily, Taeui threw himself back onto the bed, turning his back to Ilay.

“……”

“……”

However, a short while later, still feverish and aching all over from the ordeal of the previous night, Taeui rubbed his cool forearm and silently got up. He began gathering the blanket that had ended up on the floor along with Ilay. Pulling the blanket back onto the bed, he threw it over himself and lay back down, turning his back to Ilay.

That was when laughter erupted from behind him. Taeui, his hoarse throat straining, let out a loud squawk in frustration.

“Get out, you bastard!”

“Get out” – It was a bold and commanding shout—until Taeui realized that the room wasn’t his.

But before he could even dwell on that realization, Taeui shouted his words, closed his eyes, and promptly drifted off to sleep. After venting his frustrations over what had been bothering him, it seemed his mind cleared enough to let him sleep soundly. He didn’t wake up with the uneasy, restless feeling he’d had before. He slept deeply, without dreams, until late in the afternoon. By the time Taeui finally woke up, the evening was already well underway.

When Taeui opened his eyes, the drowsiness from just moments ago was gone as if it had never existed. He blinked a few times from under the blanket he had pulled up to his chin and was clutching tightly. ‘Come to think of it, I haven’t done a single thing all day. He had missed all his regular duties. What do I do now?’ – The thought worried him briefly, in a moment of dutiful concern. But that moment passed quickly. ‘Oh, who cares?’ – He thought, pulling the blanket even higher. What could possibly be worse than the situation he was already in? Whether the Instructors yelled at him for being lazy or his peers criticized him for skipping out, it wouldn’t matter. If he could trade places with them – being buried in work all day while he stayed cozy and warm under this blanket – he would gladly make the swap without a second thought.

‘If they want to kick me out for not being diligent, then go ahead.’ – Taeui thought with a sense of resignation, burying himself further into the blanket. Suddenly, he heard a faint beeping sound. At the same time, the wall clock chimed softly.

Eight times. It was already eight o’clock.

He wasn’t really hungry. He had no appetite at all. His body aches hadn’t eased, the fever still lingered, and his body continued to throb relentlessly. His breath, coming out weak and shallow, felt hot against the air.

‘Damn it. What am I even doing?’ – Being sick in a foreign place was bad enough, but what made it worse was that he couldn’t even explain why he was sick. The body aches would eventually go away with time, but this bitter feeling inside him – this bitterness – would build up and stay in his chest.

The thought of the one responsible for his frustration sparked another surge of anger, but within moments, that anger faded, replaced by shallow breaths. He lacked the energy to stay angry, and honestly, it was too much of a hassle.

Then, out of nowhere, a fleeting remark from his uncle came to mind.

‘You have good instincts and judgment, but you tend to fall short when it comes to taking action. Or maybe I should say your judgment gets a bit off-track sometimes. Especially when it comes to matters involving people. When someone starts pushing at you, you pretend to dodge, but in the end, you get tired of it and just let things happen, sit down and leave it all to them.’

Ah, so that’s why he said that. Taeui blinked a few times, then shut his eyes again. He wasn’t tired, but his body felt drained. The aching in his body and the chill in his bones made it hard to focus.

‘Damn it. Are you an idiot?’ – Even after being forced into this, within a day, you’re already ready to throw away all your anger just because you’re tired of it. And on top of that, it’s not just getting beaten or mocked—it’s something completely different.

Even so, Taeui had already grown tired of holding onto that resentment. Hating someone required far more energy than liking them, and he simply didn’t have the strength for it. Moreover, as ridiculous as it might sound to someone who heard it, when he thought about the events of the previous night and Ilay, the urge to strike him down with a stone would flare up resentfully. Yet, when he separated the man from his actions, Ilay wasn’t all that unpleasant. If someone tied Ilay up and handed him a stone, Taeui would probably happily start swinging, but if it came down to it – if Ilay was on the brink of death – he still felt like he would end up dragging him back to life.

“No matter what, how could I just watch someone die like that……”

Taeui muttered to himself, imagining the situation. After considering it for a moment, he shook his head. Of course, the chance of such a thing actually happening was almost nonexistent, but in his mind, Ilay had already started to seem somewhat pitiable.

“……”

Suddenly, Taeui felt like he understood the root of his life’s failings. ‘Thinking that bastard’s pitiable for even a moment, that’s what’s wrong with my head.’ – He sighed deeply, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, when he heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching outside the room. He tensed, instinctively shrinking into himself, holding his breath. The steps paused right in front of the door.

The door creaked open, and soft footsteps entered the room.

“Hmm, still asleep?”

It was Ilay. He spoke in a voice quiet enough not to disturb, then slowly approached. Taeui hesitated for a moment, debating whether to pretend he was still asleep. But the thought didn’t last long. Ilay wasn’t the type of man who would be fooled by such a trick.

“Feeling bored? I could bring you a book. By the way, the one your brother sent for Instructor Jeong has arrived. I thought you might like it too.”

At the casual mention of him being asleep, Taeui sighed and poked his head out from under the blanket. When he glared at Ilay with his usual fierce eyes, Ilay, who had been scanning the spines of the books in front of the shelf, glanced over his shoulder.

“Where did I put it……?” – He murmured.

“What’s wrong? Don’t like books? If you don’t, you can watch a movie instead.”

Ilay tapped the screen that hung on the wall next to the bookshelf like a framed picture. Taeui muttered bluntly: “I don’t need it”, and turned back to lie down. For a moment, Ilay looked down at him with a smirk, then moved closer. Without hesitation, he lay down next to Taeui, occupying the empty space on the large bed. It seemed like he didn’t care at all about the fierce glare Taeui was giving him.

“Today, you know, I went out for the first time in a while, and there was a mountain of work waiting for me. Even though I was barely able to get out of bed, weak and dazed, they just dumped all the work on me, without a care. It’s exhausting, being buried in tasks like that when you’re still recovering.”

Ilay muttered, saying things Taeui hadn’t asked about, then closed his eyes. He fell silent, breathing evenly, as if he’d drifted off to sleep.

Taeui stared at him quietly. It was still a curious thing. He had the feeling that, when it came to things he didn’t want to do or didn’t like, he would just brush them aside, no matter what anyone said. Yet, when something was handed to him as his responsibility, he always saw it through. It wasn’t the kind of person he thought Ilay was—surprising, really……

As he continued to watch Ilay, a flicker of something akin to resentment stirred within him. The neatly composed face, eyes closed right in front of him, was the same face he had wanted to destroy just the night before. It seemed that for a while, he’d continue to find him utterly loathsome.

Suddenly, the nightstand caught his eye. The tray Ilay had brought in that morning was still there, the butter knife and fork glinting in the light. With just that one item, it would be so easy to kill someone in their sleep. (Though, of course, it would depend on who the person was.) ‘Well, the weapon’s right here, and I’m filled with resentment…… Should I just stab his throat once?’ – Taeui seriously entertained the thought for a moment, switching his gaze between the fork and his own neck, before letting out a sigh. 

‘No, forget it. It’s not going to happen, and honestly, I can’t be bothered with such pointless things. I’ll just think of it as bad luck for getting stuck with this.’ – Scratching his head, Taeui flopped back onto the pillow. He thought he saw Ilay smile, or at least something resembling a smile, but he couldn’t tell for sure.

His body still ached. Especially below his waist—almost a whole day had passed, and it was still throbbing, the sensation nearly numb. Even the slightest brush of skin against skin sent pain shooting through him. He had spent the entire day lying in bed, and now he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d even be able to get up and walk outside.

‘Damn it. These ridiculously large pennis men should all get shrink surgeries for the sake of world peace. Then women wouldn’t have to suffer in bed, and men wouldn’t have to shrink from comparisons. Plus, if something like this happened, the damage would be much less.’

Lost in thought, Taeui opened his eyes again and glaring: ‘What ‘accident’—what nonsense. Fork to the throat…… well, that’s a bit much, but maybe a quick jab to the forehead would do the trick?’

As he continued to debate with himself, glancing at the tray, he suddenly heard footsteps from the hallway. It sounded like someone was leaving a room, and just as it seemed they were about to pass by his door, the steps stopped right in front of it. Without knocking, the door clicked open.

“Rick. I’m coming in.”

The person who had spoken after stepping inside was someone Taeui knew well. It was the owner of the room located near the end of the hallway—the very room Taeui often went to lie down and relax. Their eyes met as Taeui adjusted the pillow, blinking a few times. Neither of them said a word, simply staring at each other in silence with neutral expressions.

“……You said you were resting in your room today because you were sick.”

“Yes. I’ve been resting here all day because I’m sick.”

Taeui added silently to himself: “I’m still sick.” His uncle mumbled a distracted: “Oh, okay”, then crossed his arms, deep in thought for a moment. His expression shifted to one of mild disapproval or suspicion as he tilted his head slightly. His uncle’s gaze moved from Taeui to Ilay, who was lying right next to him on the bed.

“Why is that guy pretending to sleep?”

Taeui’s uncle muttered, but Ilay didn’t even flinch at the comment, remaining still with his eyes closed. His uncle clicked his tongue, then looked at Taeui.

“Until yesterday, he was talking about life and death, and now you’re the one who’s sick? That bacterial toxin—wasn’t it contagious?”

“No…… I don’t think so……”

Unsure of how to answer, Taeui mumbled and trailed off. His uncle’s face remained expressionless, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his demeanor. He didn’t say anything further, though, and silently walked over to the refrigerator. Without hesitation, he opened it and, following his usual habit from his own room, pulled out a can of beer, tossing it to Taeui.

“You’ve become half the person you were in just one day. Your eyes are all swollen, and your lips are cracked and dry. Drink this, at least, to wet your throat.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Seeing the beer made a sudden thirst rise in Taeui. He thought a drink might help refresh him and clear his head, so he opened the can. But just then……

“Who gives alcohol to someone who’s bedridden? Don’t drink it.”

Ilay muttered from where he was lying with his eyes closed.

“What kind of alcohol is beer? You’re the type who just pours rum down like it’s nothing.”

Taeui snorted, then took a swig of the beer. The cool sharp sensation slid down his throat. His uncle, sitting on a chair with a displeased look, turned to stare at Ilay.

“I never thought I’d hear such good advice about not giving alcohol to a sick person from you.” – Taeui muttered to himself

Taeui’s uncle was surprised when Ilay opened his eyes. He sat up with an expression of mild annoyance and, without hesitation, grabbed the beer can from Taeui’s hand. Taeui muttered a “Hey”, but before he could even reach for it again, Ilay had downed the entire can in one go. His uncle clicked his tongue, then shrugged his shoulders with a casual smile, as if it was just another day.

“It looks like someone could go through a tough illness and come out of it changed. After getting sick, your personality must have gotten really nasty, Rick. I’ve seen you letting a man sleep in your bed.”

Ilay furrowed his brows slightly, as if he was about to say something. But he paused for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle.

“Instructor Jeong Changin. I think I can guess what kind of amusing thoughts you’re having, but even so, I’m not heartless enough to kick someone out when they’re unconscious. And it’s not just anyone—it’s your precious nephew, isn’t it? The great Gilsangcheon himself. Naturally, I should take good care of him.”

‘Bullshit.’

As soon as Ilay finished speaking, Taeui muttered to himself: ‘Take care of me? What the hell does he mean by that? He forced himself on me, drove me to the point of nearly dying, and now, just because I passed out, he’s going to kick me out of the room? Is that even human?’

Taeui’s eyes wide with disbelief, stared at Ilay for a moment before scoffing and turning his head away.

“What do you want?”

Ilay asked, making it clear he was irritated. Taeui’s uncle, apparently not planning to engage in a long conversation, smoothly shifted the topic.

“I just got a call from Kyle a little while ago. I was hoping to get the list from you.”

Taeui’s uncle finished speaking slowly, glancing briefly at him. Since the moment the beer was taken away, Taeui had been wearing a sulky expression, but as soon as their eyes met, he muttered a quiet “Ah”, and started to sit up.

“Then go ahead and talk. I’ll head to my room soon.” – He said.

Just the thought of going down to the 6th floor drained him, but the idea of running into his colleagues in the hallway on the way to his room made it feel even worse. He had no intention of listening to their conversations, especially if they were about work. He didn’t feel any sense of belonging to the branch, and with plans to leave soon, there was no benefit in hearing internal gossip. The moment he stepped out of bed, a sigh escaped him. As soon as his feet hit the floor, the pain surged up from below. The resentment that had temporarily faded came rushing back in an instant.

Sitting up slightly from the bed, Taeui briefly chewed on his resentment before swallowing a sigh and standing up. Fortunately, he could still walk, albeit slowly.

“Can you even walk? You said you were too sick to rest earlier.”

His uncle asked, and Taeui was too lazy to answer, just waved him off. It would be pointless to fake a smile and pretend to be fine in front of these perceptive people. It was better to just show he was sick and let it be, rather than make a fool of himself. Ilay seemed like he was about to say something, but then closed his mouth. His uncle’s gaze was burning with intensity, and Taeui, disheartened by the reality of it all, walked out with a creak of the floorboards. If someone ever wrote a saga about Taeui’s misadventures, it seemed like the events of the past few days alone would easily fill an entire chapter.